There is More to it The rewrite
by sagexas
Summary: I couldn't bring myself to delete the old version. so instead, i'll just post this as a new story. A young girl finds herself being haunted, chased by the monster of Nikki Town. But how is he knows so much about her? There is more to it then it seems! MA!
1. Prologue: The future

**There is More to It**

**A DBZ Cell Fanfiction **

_**Written by Sagexas**_

**Warning: **_This fanfiction contains adult themes, sex, violence and bad language. If you are easily offended or if you are under age, don't read this. It's bad for your health. :D_

**Prologue**

_The Future_

Night was falling quickly, exaggerating the dark shadows that smothered the derelict city. The night was overcast, the clouds hiding all vistages of the stars and bringing with them a chilly winter's breeze. The sound of the wind through the smashed windows and empty streets was more like a screaming howl of anguish, as if the city was in mourning for the loss of it's once immense grandeur.

As night truly set in, it brought with it a heavy sleet like rain that stung the skin and burned the eyes. The very few things that remained living in the city emerged and began to prowl. Rats that now had the run of the city, the few cats and dogs that were now nothing more than savage feral strays, and of course, the occasional conscience deprived human being who scavenged for things from the city to sell or to use. These scum were often heartless, and would turn on any other human being that crossed their path.

Times were hard for the population of Earth, and hard times made people harder still. Only the strong and the lucky survived. So much had befallen the planet in the 23 years since '_they_' had first appeared. It only took a few months for the world to be turned upside down as they ravaged the planet, destroying city after city, town after town. People learned to flee from populated areas, learned to survive in the worst conditions.

Some people called the horrid pair, the Armageddon twins. Others called them devils or monsters. Whatever they were, they were evil to their cores. They had simply waltzed into a city, lifted their hands and blown it up. As simple as pie. Thousands upon thousands had lost their lives in the first few days, but as time went on without any hope to stop the pair, the death toll escalated to millions, and eventually, as the planet's population fell under the reign of tyranny, to the billions.

Only something had happened. One day, only a few months ago, the twins suddenly disappeared. There was no explanation, no rational reasoning. They just simply weren't there anymore. The world was still caught in the grips of fear, didn't dare to hope just yet. The survivors wouldn't emerge from their holes and their underground 'cities' just yet. They wouldn't dare to start rebuilding their lives until it was really safe...

He had been born shortly after the android twins had been destroyed by Trunks. He had taken his first breaths in a barren, frozen waste land near to a desolate husk of a city. He had learned to take his first steps, under the watchful eye of the computer that had created him. He had learned what his purpose in life was from the computer, learned of his creator, learned of his prey. Then he had left to experience first hand everything he had learned. But as he stepped into the freezing chilly night air, as the snow piled around his feet, as he tasted the air, the cold crisp feelings in his throat and lungs, he realized, there was so much he couldn't learn on a computer screen.

He had left the frozen waste lands, creeping into the forest. He had hunted for his first kill, an adult deer, a buck. He had felt utter intoxicating pleasure as he had leaped at the beast, his tail's needle like tip impaling the buck through the chest, draining it in seconds of it's bio-essence, it's life's energy. It had only lasted a moment, but the feeling was there, imprinted on his mind, his first hunt. He had taken a few minutes then to savor the feelings, to feel the adrenalin and the endorphins in his system.

Then he hunted again.

He found his first humans a few hours later just before dawn. A small group of 4 sleeping under a pile of dirty blankets and rags around the last smoldering remains of a fire in the forest clearing. He had watched them, taking in all the details of the humans who he knew would make up the majority of his power. He moved, stabbing the first victim, a middle aged man through the neck, silencing his screams before it had began. The man had thrashed wildly for a second, fighting him as he had sucked the energy out of the man. He felt it then, truly felt it. The power of that man's entire being absorbed into his own energy. He closed his eyes for the briefest second, and yet, relived the man's entire past life in that heart beat, his first memories, his childhood, his first kiss, his wife, his house, his children, the androids attack, the loss of everything...

He had savored the rush, the euphoria that kill gave him. Then he had turned on his next victim, a young woman. He studied her as she slept, noting the subtle differences between a woman and a man. He knew the logic, he knew the theory, but he had never seen a woman before. He could hear his creators voice in his mind, warning him against the foolishness of women, warning him not to let them distract him from his task at mind. He grinned to himself, then stabbed the woman in the chest. Her sudden piercing scream quickly turned to a gargle as she too was absorbed into his being. The other two victims were on their feet, turning on him with their crude projectile based weapons. He closed his eyes as the bullets bounced harmlessly off his armor and leathery skin. When they stopped, he simply stepped forward, his speed making their fastest reactions look sluggish and sloppy. He grabbed one around the throat, felt the pulse through his hands, plunged his tail into his victims side, felt the pulse race frantic, then slow, and stop in his hand as the victim disappeared, leaving nothing but a crumpled pile of clothes on the clearing floor.

He had absorbed the next victim with relish. Finally, as dawn broke over the eerily silent forest, he turned towards the chipped, collapsing ruins of the city. He had slunk through the remnants of the suburbia, using his unique sensory perception to '_feel_' the life energy of any humans remaining. As he moved, he let his mind sift through the memories of the four people and one deer that now fueled his bodies power. He absorbed their memories like story books, interesting to read, but then to shelve them somewhere to gather dust when he was done. He enjoyed the hunt immensely, flushing out the remaining humans, mostly scavengers or blank staring shells of people who had survived merely by luck. He absorbed them all, growing stronger, faster, more aware of the human condition as he went. His curious mind running through the new memories, but never truly exploring them, never truly experiencing them.

A month passed. He had moved from city to city, slowly gathering strength from what few people who remained. It was a dark chilly night, in another huge city, empty, devoid of life. The wind was howling. He was hunting a young man who had been foolish enough to come into the city looking for salvageable items. He had scared the man, finding that same feeling of euphoria as the man had fled. He loved the hunt. It was incredible, chasing the man, always letting him get away, only to appear suddenly in his way. The man tried to take salvage in the ravaged lobby of a smashed up, derelict apartment building.

He had found him effortlessly behind the counter. Had delayed the actual death strike long enough to permanently imprint the man's look of utter terror and defeat in his memory. Then he absorbed him. As he stood, eyes closed, reliving the man's memories, he couldn't help feeling curious about the physical bonds between the human sexes. He relived a particularly enticing memory, tried to glean the details from the man's memory, to experience it in his mind. He felt his bodies chemicals reacting to the sights, the smells in his mind, found his body heating up, his mind becoming less able to rationalize, so he finally shelved it in the back of his mind, to be forgotten.

He focused his mind, found it incredibly easy to search broader distances for life energy as he got stronger. A few miles away, in the heart of the city he could sense a single life force. It was the only one he could detect, so he headed towards it.

The night got colder, the wind howled through the empty streets, rain cascading down on the Grey broken buildings, the smashed wrecked and rusted cars, the empty clothes that littered the ground...

He stood at the base of a hotel. He looked up, ignoring the cold rain, staring at the slightly leaning building. He noted the huge chunks of bricks and cement that had fallen away, revealing the steel skeleton of the building. He grinned to himself. He could almost see the human who's life the energy belonged to standing on one of the higher floors of the apartment. He was becoming adept at telling a bit about the person from the look of their life energy. He could tell the person was a woman in the prime of her life. Her energy was far too tempting. She was on the 11th story. He opened his wings, tapping the now, immense store of energy in his core, forcing it to flow down his legs, through his feet, forcing him away from the ground, into the air. He used his wings to steady himself as he used his energy to propel himself through the air.

He landed on the slightly lopsided balcony of the 11th story without making a sound. His tail twitched behind him as he leaned forward, ducking under the broken, unhinged glass door and into a hotel room. There was a double bed, the original sheeting stripped, leaving just a threadbare mattress. There was a patched sleeping bag laying on the floor, a small round pillow for the head. A tiny oil based lantern was flickering on a broken set of drawers providing lighting and a little warmth, a thermostat and a backpack sitting neatly on the floor.

The woman was a survivor, not a scavenger. He smirked. What did he care? He turned to the partially opened door, another lantern casting an eerie golden glow over a white tub. He could see steam rising from the tub, saw a sudden flash of cream colored skin as the woman moved a leg in the tub. He felt his insides suddenly churn. He forced his mind to still, to focus. He moved closer to the door, careful not to make a sound, not to disturb anything. He angled himself better to see through the ajar door, saw the woman's back, long auburn colored hair, hanging over the edge of the tub. His eyes widened, his hormones suddenly roaring as she moved again, standing up, revealing his first ever '_real_' sight of the naked rear of a woman. She moved, stepping over the tub, out of his sight.

He had to mentally slap himself, as he realized he was loosing his grip. He reminded himself that he was about to kill this woman, that perving on her as she bathed was low, and foolish. He forced himself away from the door, leaned against the wall, berating himself, trying to reign his mind back under his control. He could almost see the chemicals being pumped into his blood stream from the glands in the base of his brain, his primal urges. His mind subconsciously threw memories from his victims at him, the images of random unnamed women naked, vulnerable, and far too enticing, before he could gain a semblance of control again.

The door opened suddenly, and he froze in the shadows behind the door. The woman strolled out of the bathroom, utterly naked, her long hair sweeping across her back as she headed to her backpack. She bent down, unaware of the show she was giving him, as she rifled through the backpack, finally removing a frayed towel. She began to dry herself off, still unaware that she was not alone. She was humming to herself, a sad ditty. He couldn't bring himself to move, couldn't stop staring at her cream colored skin that glowed golden in the lantern's lights. She was mostly dry, when she finally turned back to the bathroom, then saw him.

Their eyes locked. His the cat like magenta slits, her's the brightest green he had ever known. He saw fear in her eyes, but she didn't move, simply stared at him. He tried to move, to stand up, to gloat, to entice fear, but he found his will suddenly abandoning him, and he could do nothing except meet her stare, trying so hard to ignore the fact she was utterly naked, her body gleaming.

"Hello." She suddenly broke the silence that had fallen them.

"Hello." His reply was automated, but it was the first word he had ever truly spoken, found his voice harsh even to his own ears.

"Are you... Going to kill me?" She asked, almost conversationally. She could have been asking him about the weather. He found himself suddenly unable to think rationally, let alone formulate an accurate answer. His tongue refusing to obey his orders, his legs still not working, his tail, forgotten on the floor besides him, his hands flat against the wall, he realized he must have looked a childish fool.

If she thought him a fool, she didn't portray it in her features. She moved slowly, heading towards him, cautious not to make any sudden movement. He became suddenly aware of her proximity, of her scent, the fresh smell of her body so enticing, causing a whole new wave of hormones and endorphins to rush his nervous system, making it even harder to think straight. She stared into his eyes. He noted the lines at the edges of her mouth, at the corners of her eyes. He knew she must have suffered the last few years, knew she had probably been barely a teenager when the androids had first arrived.

He saw concern mingled with curiosity in her eyes, saw the shadow of sadness, but she hid it with a warm smile. She was smiling at him! He wished so desperately to tear free of whatever it was she was doing to him, to turn and flee, but instead, found himself entranced, captivated... and enjoying the intoxication on his senses. She moved again, slowly, ever closer.

"Are you alone too?" She asked quietly. Her hand reached towards his face. He startled at the sudden shock down his spine as she touched him. He felt her skin, warm from her bath. She smiled at him again from his shock. "I'll take that as a yes." She added.

The wind outside began again, a sudden gust blowing through the broken door, causing her to suddenly shudder, her skin breaking out in goosebumps. He saw her suddenly hug herself, saw the discomfort on her face, and acted. He reached out towards her, pulled her into his body, hugging her back tightly. He tapped his energy store again, let his energy surround him slowly, warming the air around him. She turned suddenly, staring up at him in surprise.

"You... You can do that?" He nodded slowly, still holding her tight, warming her. He watched, fascinated as her face turned from feared awe to a warm smile. She buried her head in his chest. He found himself drawn to her auburn hair, used one hand to touch it. He ran it through his fingers, surprised at the soft feel of it. He lifted it to the tiny slits in his beak, sniffed. He had limited experience with his sense of smell, but found this scent intoxicating, and unusual. He took another deep draught of her smell, let it linger in his nostrils.

She moved again, looking up at him again. He looked back down at her, letting her hair fall from his hand. The look on her face was unusual. She leaned back, freeing her hands, and reached towards his face. He was prepared for the touch of her skin against his this time. But he wasn't prepared, as she slowly pulled his face down to hers, pressed her soft lips to his leathery beak. He was startled, another electric shock charging down his spine, setting off a whole new set of chemical reactions in his brain. He felt heat flowing through him, felt his cheeks warm as he flushed. He felt suddenly aware of how his blood was pumping through his veins, of how hers was pumping through hers.

He had seen the human acts of courtship through the eyes of his victims. He had seen the pleasure it gave his victims as they engaged in kissings, touching and the act of sex itself. He had never paid it much heed, considered it to be overrated. He admitted to himself, he had been curious, but nothing much more. Until she had kissed him.

She pressed into his body. He was all to aware of her nakedness, his hands touching that delicate creamy warm skin, felt another wave of heat roll down his body, settling in his loins. She lifted one of her hands behind his head, ever so gently running her fingers over the back of his neck. Another electric shock down his spine, his body responding to her touch, felt the skin tingling.

Slowly, she pulled away from him, breaking the kiss. He couldn't tear his gaze from hers, but slowly he licked his lips. He had limited experiences with 'true' taste, but as her taste played on his tongue, he found himself savoring it immensely. She knew too. She gave him another smile, before he acted on his overwhelming desire at the exact point in time, leaning down to her neck, pressed his lips to her skin and licked it. Another wave of the delicious taste of her flesh. She moaned suddenly, relaxing into his embrace and craning her neck, presenting more of a target.

The realization that he could cause the same reactions in her, as she had in him, came as a sudden and enticing shock. He licked her neck again, running his lips down across her clavicle bone. She gave a small shudder in his arms, another small moan. He found himself entranced again, lifting her with incredible ease, giving him more flesh to taste, running his tongue over the flesh of her collar bone, down her chest, and then to the incredibly soft and supple flesh of her breast. He watched as her nipples darkened and hardened at the touch of his tongue, got the sudden whiff of an incredible scent that followed a moment later. Her arms wrapped around his head as he nibbled on the incredibly tender flesh, felt her shudder in his arms, felt her warming under his touch.

His mind whirled with the memories of his victims, saw flashes of what they had done, of the enjoyment that had gained from the taste of their partners. He was curious, he was entranced by this woman. Some tiny part of his brain tried to rationalize, that no harm would come from experiencing the human pleasures for himself. After all, he could just kill this woman afterwards.

He let himself go, found himself carrying this woman to the threadbare mattress, laying her down with the greatest care, found his tongue still savoring the flavor of her breasts. Her hands were wandering over the back of his armored skull, her gentle fingers tickling the flesh around his ears and neck. He lifted his head from his feasting, stared into her eyes. She stared back, smiled. He lowered his head, moved down, ran one of his hands across her belly as he tasted the flesh here, felt the softness of the skin, felt the warmth. He moved lower, found the small mound of flesh with its tuft of fur emitting the enticing smell.

He opened her legs, his eyes examining every minute detail, his nostrils overwhelmed by the delicious smell. He leaned forward, tasted her, found the taste incredibly intoxicating. Another heat wave down his spine. He found the amour that protected his fragile organs constricting, becoming uncomfortable. He ignored it, lavished in the feast before him, savoring each taste.

It was only a few moments, he was unaware truly of what he was doing, felt her hands still on his neck, becoming a little more forceful as he lapped. Her back suddenly arched, she moaned as he lapped at her, he felt her body tremble, and then he noted her bodies new juices flowing between his lips, felt her bodies sudden heat. Her hands pulled at his face, lifting him away from her. He was reluctant, but let her pull him back up her body, using his hands to support his weight. She looked into his eyes, saw a very hungry glint in her eyes, could register the chemicals her body was releasing into the air. She pulled his face down, kissing him again.

Her hands reached around his shoulder, pressing his body on top of hers. He felt his amour constrict further as her fingers wandered down his sides, to his waist, her fingers prying at the amour. He finally stood up, tearing away from her body, starving for more. His body acted as if on it's own, the biological amour hardening as it died on his skin, cracking as his body flexed, shedding it. It fell in pieces around his feet, exposing his olive green skin. He followed her gaze, looked down. He had never seen himself naked, but without his amour, he could see the contours of his muscles along his stomach, saw suddenly, his manhood, erect, hard and as his mind registered the constricted blood vessels, the tense muscles, extremely tender.

She was already moving, sliding off the bed. She pressed herself against him, kissing him again, her hands snaking down his skin. Without his amour, he realized how sensitive his skin was, experienced a whole new wave of pleasure as she ran her fingers across his nipples, down his abs, down his hardened penis. His nervous system was flooded with the sheer pleasure, the ecstasy of her gentle fingers as they massaged his shaft. She let him go suddenly, letting him get a grip on himself, trying to keep some semblance of sanity. He lost it the moment her lips touched him. Her tongue rolled over the tip, the pressure as she sucked was immense. He felt his legs go weak, leaned back against the wall for support, ran his fingers through her hair as she worked.

He felt a pressure building, felt as though he would explode if she didn't stop. She knew, suddenly letting him go, standing up a smug smile on her face. He stared at her, trying to force his body to contain itself. He could feel the strain on his muscles as he pressed against her leg. She backed away slowly, laying herself down on the bed. She sat up on her elbows smiling at him.

He followed her then, found his legs only all too willing to walk towards her. He was inexperienced, new to the whole act, but she must have known. She pulled his face to hers, kissing him, while she wrapped her legs around his waist. He felt himself pushing hard into her thigh. She used one hand, ran it down his side, causing another tingle on his skin, before she gently grabbed his shaft, guiding him inside her.

The sudden constriction and warmth, the sudden wave of ecstasy took him off guard. He broke the kiss staring down at her with nothing short of shock as his body tried to adjust to her. She smiled at him again, letting her fingers dance across his sides. He moved then, felt another flush of intoxicating pleasure, then thrust into her, felt his pressure building again. She responded arching her back, taking him even deeper inside her. He thrust again, felt the wave of pleasure, felt her shudder under him.

He thrust again, and again, his mind whirling, trying to take in the overwhelming pleasure, his body working on it's own, thrusting in time with her body, her legs pulling him in. He felt the pressure inside him building too much too fast, felt the ache . He could smell her in his nostrils, could taste her on his lips and could feel her warmth under him. Her head rolled back, she moaned again as he thrust in to her again and again.

But nothing could prepare him for the incredible mind blowing pleasure that washed over his entire body from the explosion as the pressure built beyond containment. His member shuddered, felt the tension release as he spilled his seed into her. He couldn't move for those few seconds as he tried to catch his breath, tried to clear his mind, the pleasure still flooding his system. Her fingers traced the contours of his face. His nervous system felt raw and vivid, every tiny touch, amplified.

After what felt like an eternity, his mind began to clear, he looked down at the woman under neath him, saw her truly, a human being in the prime of her life. He found he lacked the stomach suddenly to kill her. His rational mind struggled with the physical bond he had just shared, eventually, he forced the whole thing to the back of his mind. He moved, slipping himself out of her, stood up, moved away from the bed. He found himself unable to look at her then. He stared at the crumbled remains of his amour, now shattered, dead, useless to him. He felt the chilled air on his exposed skin.

He flexed his arms, turned his focus inside. The immense store of energy in his core opened at his touch, flowing through his body. He forced it into his skin, letting it build in his pores. He forced it then to concentrate, to solidify. The energy of re-growing his amour around his body was more taxing than that of flying, but nothing like the exertion sex had taken on his still new, inexperienced body and mind.

He flexed his arms, felt the constriction against his skin from his amour and smiled inwardly. He heard her moving on the bed behind him. He turned, watching her silently as she slipped on a shirt and a traveling jacket, followed by a pair of warm pants and shoes. She smiled at him as she sat on the edge of the bed, tying her laces. He found his mind erupt into turmoil at her look, forced him to turn back towards the broken balcony door. He hesitated, his mind all too raw with the vivid memories and feelings of his experience, before he finally stepped through the broken door, forced himself to glance back at her sad form, before he threw himself off the balcony, into the night sky.

**\/\/\/**

Another month passed. He had become an expert hunter. Humans were few and far between, but he averaged a handful of people every day. He traveled from city to city, hunting, absorbing everyone he met. He was ever alert for any indication, any sign of his beloved androids. There was none. The world was still run down, ruined and only a hollow semblance of it's former glory, but there were signs that the surviving population was beginning to emerge. Small pockets of people were banding together, creating tiny villages in cave networks or forest dwellings. They built more stable, although crude shelters. He had stumbled across a valley full of crops growing in seclusion, a gathering of people living near a flowing river. He had devoured them with relish, although their boldness is such a harsh world only re-enforced the incredible human trait of adaptability and survival.

He was stalking towards a long abandoned rural town, following his ever keen senses that told him there was another tiny gathering of people. The town was tiny. A few scattered farms close to a small grocery store and post office. It was late afternoon, the sun was setting. His keen eyes saw the tiny flickering orange camp fire behind one of the farm houses on the other side of town. He set himself to the prowl, his tail flicking in anticipation as he snuck silently through the sparse underbrush and into the madly over growing field of the closest farm. He made not a sound as he moved, using his senses to keep track of his prey.

The sun had truly set, the darkness providing perfect cover for him as he reached the edge of the final farm. He hid behind the stalks of wild maize, his cat slit eyes absorbing the scene before him. Six human beings, one elderly man, a middle aged man, a young boy and two middle aged women sitting around the raging fire. His eyes traced the bodies arranged before him, felt his senses twinge. He felt two more life forms, one inside the roofless, derelict farm house ruins, one in the fields to his right.

He moved silently away from the camp site, heading towards the lone life he felt in the fields. It had been a month since his first, and only experience with a woman. It had taken him several days to finally 'get over' the whole incident and push it to the back of his mind. He had done well, barely thinking of it. The whole memory came crashing back into his mind, overwhelming him suddenly as he spotted his prey. It was her, the long auburn hair sweeping around her back. She was plucking corn from the giant wild grown stalks, carefully peeling away the husks, placing the cobs in a small wicker basket on her arm. He stayed hidden, watching her as she worked. She looked thinner, paler then he had last seen her, more lines etched into her face. Her eyes were saddened, tired.

She stopped after a while, staring sky ward. She sighed heavily. He found himself able to control his body this time, and he moved forward, standing up to his full height before her. Her face betrayed no fear, no shock. She simply took in his form, looking him up and down, before locking her green eyes to his and smiled warmly.

"You've been keeping well." She said simply. He nodded slowly, a grin on his leathery beak. He couldn't understand why he would suddenly feel... Happy to see the woman again. She sighed sadly again, turned, heading through the field slowly. He followed her, knew she was heading away from the camp site. He knew then, that she probably knew perfectly well what he truly was. A sudden pang of guilt and shame stabbed him in the chest. He forced it from his system. He was what he was. The fact that she still chose to be in his company evoked a whole new range of thoughts in his mind.

She led him to a small clearing full of rocks and boulders. She placed the wicker basket on the ground, sat herself on a large stone. She watched as he followed suit, sitting next to her. His long tail curling around the stone. He leaned forward, his body still primed for the hunt, tense for the chase. She stared back up at the sky.

"They say the Armageddon twins have been destroyed. That the world can finally begin to rebuild it's self." The news that the twins had been destroyed was a hard blow. He knew it was true, had heard rumors of it through the memories of his victims. To hear it from her lips seemed to make the truth even more brutal. He frowned, glaring at the ground, his mind whirling to find a way around the problem.

Her hand touched his shoulder, snapping him out his reverie. He turned to her, saw the sadness in her eyes.

"I was seventeen years old when the Armageddon Twins first attacked. My mum died when I was only little. I never knew her. My dad was the world to me. In the first year of the Armageddon Twins' attack, he was shot four times in the back by a mugger. He never saw the face of his killer. The world used to be such a beautiful place. I remember the theme park in the city. It was the greatest thing ever. I was only about twelve when Dad and I used to ride the roller coaster. He hated it. But he always used to go on it, because I couldn't ever go on it alone. It was great! The city was a great place, full of friendly people. We used to get a hot dog from the corner vendor, and then we'd wander the malls. When they came, the world fell apart. People couldn't even walk outside without fear of someone who was crazed, panicked, from shooting them in the back. I don't think that fear will ever leave us now. Sure, we'll try to rebuild the world. We'll try to rebuild our cities, our farms, our lives. It won't ever be the same though. It will be a long time before we can trust ourselves again. We won't feel safe. I suppose it's a start though." He didn't say anything, watched as she stared at the ground, her eyes stony as she spoke to the dirt.

"I want to help rebuild the world. I don't want to be afraid any more. I don't want to hide in a hole in the ground. I want to be able to walk in the sunshine without glancing over my shoulder. I don't want you to destroy this world." She turned, spoke the last sentence quietly, sincerely, her eyes locking with his. He couldn't bring himself to speak, didn't want to ruin the moment. Silence befell them, silence that stretched as neither chose to move.

Finally, she turned away from him, smiled sadly to herself again.

"I suppose it really doesn't matter in the end does it. What I don't understand, is why you didn't kill me when you had the chance? Why you don't just kill me now. I don't think it's because I slept with you." He still didn't speak. She sighed. "I think it's because I accepted you." He didn't move, didn't speak. She sighed again, stood up, turned to him. She was studying his face, his eyes. She reached out for his face, held it in her hands, then leaned down, kissing his lips again.

She let him explore her body again that night, wholly and truly. He added several new experiences to his ever growing list. He stayed this time. Watched her as she fell asleep in the field. He hated the internal conflict she spurred in him, the vulnerability she enticed. He ensured his amour had regrown, before he turned to the camp site. The humans were all asleep around the last smoldering ashes of the camp fire. He tore himself between devouring these humans or leaving them. He reminded himself, he owed her nothing. He devoured them, killing them swiftly, ensuring none of them made a sound to wake the others. He collected their blankets, returning to the woman, who, he realized, his name he did not even know.

**\/\/\/**

Weeks turned into months. He hunted humans, devouring them with relish. On occasions, he would return to the woman, found her easily enough. She moved slowly south, avoiding pockets of civilization, knowing that he would simply eat anyone she came into contact with, despite the fact she would never witness him hurt anyone. The time they spent together, he never spoke. He listened, taking in the details as she told him about her life, before the androids and after they attacked. She told him whatever she was thinking about at the time. Some nights, they would enjoy each other physically. Some nights, he would simply keep her company. He learned one night, through memories of a particularly lucky man, the manner of the androids death. He learned of Trunks, son of Bulma and Prince Vegeta, his increased power and strength, how he had destroyed the androids. The city where Bulma lived in the capsule corporation was several miles away. He knew he had to make the journey, to take his vengeance out on Trunks and to absorb his power. Inside, he still had hope that he could reach his completion, become the Ultimate Perfection his Computer _'mother'_ had told him he would become.

Finally, he decided he would go. It would mean several days away from the woman, but he had left her for days at a time. He had never felt apprehensive before, but as the prospect of fighting Trunks enticed him, he began to anticipate the thrill of the battle, felt the surge of Saiyan blood in his veins. He found her again that night, sifting through a burned village, looking for food. He appeared, a pile of apples in his hands. He had a knack for finding wild fruits and food for her. As always she smiled at him, touched his face in acknowledgment, before seating herself somewhere comfortable and eating them. He couldn't sit still, the impending battle making his mind race. She watched him as he prowled around the village, exploring, fidgeting. Her mind was as sharp as his, and he wasn't surprised when she sighed, burying the cores of her eaten apples in the dirt.

"Your going away again aren't you?" She stared at him, locking her eyes with his. He frowned.

"Yes." It was the second word he had ever spoken in his life, and like the first, it was to this woman. She frowned, staring. After a while she finally nodded.

"I might not see you again." It wasn't a question, just a blunt statement. He didn't reply, watched her as she turned to her inner thoughts. He was used to her doing that, appreciated it was apart of her personality trait. Finally she nodded to him.

"I suppose you should go then." The bluntness of her suggestion caught him off guard. He stared at her, trying to see the real emotions behind her eyes. They were hidden well. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. He frowned slightly, moved towards her, as she stood up, dusting off her patched woolen pants. She faced him as he brought his face close to hers, still trying to read her.

"If you have somewhere better to be, some mission that you have to do, then go and do it. Don't let me stop you." He narrowed his eyes at her. She held his gaze. He frowned. "If it helps, everything that's happened between you and I was fun, but nothing more than that. You don't owe me anything. I don't owe you anything. Our arrangement has simply come to an end." she spoke with only slight amusement in her voice, as if what she said was obvious. He felt a twing in his mind, felt like she had just attacked him. She had given him a thousand new experiences in life. But as he stared her in the eyes, unable to tell if she was just trying to make it easier for him to leave, he couldn't help wonder if she honestly felt the way she was saying she did.

She touched his face with her hand, kissed him gently on the edge of his leathery beak.

"Goodbye." She said slowly, then turned her back on him, folding her arms. He stood there, watching as the slight breeze ruffled her auburn hair. She made no other attempt to communicate with him, and he knew, she had dismissed him. He felt another pang, but pushed it aside. He turned to leave. It occurred to him suddenly, that through all the months he had known this woman, listened to her tell him the story of her life, he still did not know her name. He stopped before he left, turned back to face her. She hadn't moved, her back still resolutely to him.

"I don't know your name." it was his first real sentence, his voice husky and dry. She turned to him as he spoke. She had that same resolutely warm smile on her face.

"I don't think it really matters. But if it makes you feel better, my name is Kyrie Graves." He gave her a curt nod.

"Cell." He said simply, turning his back on her. He paused for a second, half hoping she would say something else, to delay him leaving. She was silent. He fought himself inside, and then he disappeared into the dark night, his mind in turmoil once again.

**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own DBZ or anything DBZ related. OC's are © to me though. :D_


	2. Chapter One

**There Is More To It**

**Chapter One**

It was a warm early Spring day in Pepper City. The air was thick with the sweet smells of flowers in bloom and heavy with the sounds of insects buzzing around the school yard gardens. Sen sat under a huge oak ever green tree, reading a book. She paused, looking up as two butterflies flickered around the grass at her feet, dancing in the gentle breeze together. She sighed, smiled and turned back to her book. She was absorbed in her reading, failed to notice the shadow of another student stalking her.

She yelped in surprise, slipped against the tree and fell to her side as Kyrie dropped a pine cone on her opened book. Kyrie roared with laughter, but offered Sen her hand, helping her to her feet.

"Oh Kyrie! I've got dirt all over my book." She muttered as she tried to brush the dirt from her pages. Kyrie laughed again, shaking her head.

"It's not like you haven't read that one before. You know how it ends. Some magic prince flies in on a horse in shining amour to save the princess from the Evil sorcerer..."

"I'll have you know the magic prince rides a dragon in this one." Sen said sarcastically. They both laughed.

The school bell suddenly rang, to signal the beginning of classes. Sen and Kyrie picked up their school bags and began to head across the school yard to the giant oak doors that lead into the white washed stone building. They were deep in conversation, generally relishing each others company.

Kyrie and Sen had been best friends for as long as either could remember. Both of them came from reasonably wealthy families, and both had scientists for fathers. But thats about where the similarities ended. Sen came from a large family, where she shared her home with three brothers and a sister. She was well mannered, extremely polite and friendly, and loved to read and draw. More intriguing, was the fact that Sen was an albino, a true albino. Her long curled hair was so blond it was white, her skin had almost no pigment at all, and her eyes were the color of blood. Her eye lases and her fingernails looked transparent, as if they were made of glass. In all, she looked fragile and easily broken.

Kyrie was the complete opposite. She was an only child, living with her father on the Graves Estate. Her mother had died when she was young, and she had learned to be strong like her dad. She was full of life and energy, and played soccer on weekends and took kick boxing classes twice a week. She was full of color as well, her skin a creamy tan, her shoulder length hair auburn, although it shone gold in the sun light. Her eyes were a grassy green and she often wore clothes that colors clashed violently, like bright blues and oranges and violet. Unlike the well spoke Sen, who chose her words carefully, Kyrie was boisterous and usually spoke her mind with little fore thought of consequence.

To the outside eye, nobody could understand how two completely opposite people had managed to become such close friends. But Kyrie and Sen didn't care. They never had. They understood each better than anybody else ever could.

School finished with a loud bell ring, and the doors flew open to a sudden flood of Pepper City Private School students, all wearing the same black and navy blue uniforms. Kyrie and Sen left side by side, heading to the school gates. They stood back and watched the usual humming of activity as a whole fleet of expensive looking cars pulled up trying to collect the students. It was always the same. A yellow school bus was down the street, only a small handful of students heading towards it. Kyrie and Sen wormed their way through the crowd of students, past the car fleet and the bus, heading down the foot path. Kyrie glanced up instinctively at the huge hills that bordered Pepper Cities Eastern Side. They were covered in dense green pine trees, but about half way up one, was a sudden expense of lawn, with the glinting white of a barely discernible mansion. It was several miles away. The hubbub of sound died behind them as cars pulled away and the student mass shrunk. Kyrie and Sen turned a corner, heading away from the school. Sen lived in the center of th city in a high rise pent house apartment. They talked about their classes as they walked, cursed their science teacher for setting them such a huge amount of home work, and laughed about the silly antics of the boys in their classes.

It was a good twenty minutes through the cities heart until they reached the bottom of Sen's apartment building. Kyrie waved half heartedly, agreed to meet Sen tomorrow at school, then watched as Sen disappeared into the foyer. Kyrie turned to the city street, crammed with people and cars who all had better things to be doing. She sighed to herself and began to walk. It took her another half an hour to get out of the heart of the city, walking slowly up the built up residential area, the houses ludicrous and huge.

A car horn, and she whirled to see one of her father's science lab assistants, Raymond waving at her from the driver's seat of a hover car. Kyrie sighed, and jumped into the passengers seat.

"I could have walked Raymond." Raymond was an energetic and boisterous man and simply shrugged.

"Yeah, but look at this way, you gave me an excuse to get out of the lab." Kyrie laughed.

"Fair enough." He asked her about her day at school, and she delved into cursing her science teacher again.

In a hover car, the trip to the giant white marble manor half way up the hill, took only minutes. Kyrie headed inside, tossing her bag on the floor of the giant foyer. Murals decorated the giant four story tall domed ceiling, and intricate marble patterns layered the floor. Hand carved pillars supported the incredible stair case that led from the hall, up and then split in two, curving around to the second floor. She paid the details little attention, instead, sniffed the air. Her stomach gave a loud growl. She turned away from the stairs, to a door to the right that led through to the kitchens.

Maria, the resident chef was nothing short of a brilliant cook. She was a large stout woman with fly away hair and poor manners, but she had the best sense of humor Kyrie had ever known. As soon as Kyrie walked through the kitchen door, Maria had her in a bear hug, before shoving a plate of sandwiches into Kyrie's hands and shoving her towards a stool at one of the kitchen benches. Kyrie listened to Maria as she regaled Kyrie with her wild jokes and warped opinions on the political issues that Maria had been listening to on the talk back radio. Maria worked as she talked, handling the food with incredible skill and ease, preparing a large scale feast for Kyrie's father's guests.

Kyrie palmed her forehead in a gesture of forgetfulness.

"I forgot dad was having one of those formal party things tonight."

"That doesn't surprise me." Kyrie turned to the kitchen door, beamed at her father as he walked in. He was a tall, lanky man, currently unshaven with messy ginger hair and the same bright green eyes as Kyrie. He walked over to Kyrie, gave her a hug and she returned the favor.

"Hi dad." Kyrie said simply. Her father chuckled, ruffed up his daughters hair.

"I have a lot of important people coming around tonight. It's a sort of official celebration of the success of the company. The Spice District Governor will be here, as well as a large gathering of very important corporate suits and political allies." He smiled down at Kyrie. "For the first time in your life, and I know it's asking a lot, but could you please look like a lady?" Kyrie snorted.

"I hate dressing up like a snob." Her father pouted, pulling a sad puppy face. Kyrie grumbled under her breath, then sighed. "Alright. Just for you dad. But your so taking me to the theme park on Sunday!" Her dad laughed.

"Deal!" He kissed the top of Kyrie's nose, waved absently to Maria, then left.

"The guests will be arriving around six. It's Four thirty now, Missy. I'd be getting myself off to a shower if I were you!" Kyrie nodded, sighed, and headed out the door, leaving behind a half finished plate of sandwiches.

Six O'clock rolled around all too fast for Kyrie's liking. She hated the formal events, found herself feeling like a doll on show. She sighed to her reflection in the mirror. She had washed her hair, tied it up in a bun on top of her head, let part of her fringe hand in front of her ears. She was wearing a simple black dress, that hugged her waist. She had never been able to wear heels before, and so she chose a pair of nice flat dress shoes. She topped the whole thing off with a pair of gold earrings and her mothers locket. It was one of the only things she had of her mother, aside from a photo of the brown haired, blue eyed beauty sticky taped to the mirror. She looked at her mother now as she smoothed down her dress, felt saddened, but tried to force it from her mind. She had to make a good impression, for her father's sake. She heard the music start up, heard the guests beginning to enter, and so she left her room, to head down stairs.

The night seemed to drag on. Kyrie found it hard to keep smiling and thanking guests for their compliments. She found it harder still to pretend to listen as various men and women in outfits that could buy a new house for the poorer people make long and complicated speeches. After the official dinner was served in the massive dinning room that had been fitted with additional tables and chairs for the occasion, Kyrie managed to slip herself away from the crowds, heading up stairs to her room.

Kyrie's room was not the largest in the house. It was more homey than the lavish guest rooms, with a simple bed, a set of drawers, a vanity desk and a walk through bathroom. Her favorite feature however, was the small balcony that over looked the hill's reserve, the cities lights glowing in the distance. The walls were plastered with posters of various bands, sports players and pictures that Sen had drawn for her. She flicked her stereo system on, and removed her shoes, massaging her sore feet. She threw herself on her bed, lying there, trying to relax herself.

A sudden gust of wind blew against the currently closed doors of the balcony. She sighed to herself, rolled out of bed, and headed to the balcony. She threw the doors open, and stepped out into the chilly night air. She hugged herself from warmth against the breeze, listening to the sound of the pine trees as they moved in the wind, drowning out the music from her stereo. She felt her skin tingle, and she stared down at the freshly clipped lawns. She saw the mass of expensive hover cars parked neatly in the huge drive way. She could see the light that the opened mansion doors threw across the gardens.

She studied the shadows at the edge of the lawns where the forest began. She could see nothing but black, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned back to her room, walked inside. She left the balcony doors open, loving the smell of the pine forest. She pulled a pair of comfortable cotton pants out of her drawers, as well as a singlet, stripping herself of the night dress. She slipped into her preferred choice of clothes. She removed her earrings and her mothers locket, placing them gently back in the small jewelery box she had on her vanity desk. She undid her hair, brushed it, let it hand loosely around her neck and face. She looked at her mother's photo, sighing to herself. Something in the corner of her eye moved, and she froze. She stared at the reflection in the mirror, barely able to stop her self from screaming in terror. A seven foot shadow with gleaming pink slit eyes was staring back at her from the corner shadows of her room. It made no attempt to move, simply locked it's gaze with hers.

Slowly, she turned around, facing it. It cocked it's head gently to one side, curious. Her mind whirled, panicked. She had never seen anything like this creature before. Suddenly it moved, stepping forward slowly out of the shadow, revealing itself to her. She couldn't stop the sharp sudden intake of breath. The creature was at least seven feet tall, although it stood slightly hunched over. It resembled a man, but with sever characteristics of a lizard and of an insect. He had a leathery orange beak instead of a mouth, a 'V' shaped crest on his head and green speckled amour over his body. She noticed the shelled wings behind him and the long tail with a needle like stinger on the tip.

She couldn't stop herself from staring, couldn't control the fear that she knew her face must be betraying.

"H... Hello?" She whispered quietly. His leathery beak suddenly stretched to the sides, and she realized he was smiling at her.

"Hello." His voice was deep and rasped. She swallowed, not knowing if the fact that this thing in front of her was intelligent, was a good thing or not. He didn't move, simply stood there, watching her as if expecting something. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Um... Are you hungry? I can get you some food... Or a drink?" She asked.

"No." Kyrie couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at this thing, it's lack of trying to communicate with her.

"Erm..." She found herself suddenly unable to think of something else to say. He moved then, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye, his movements fluid, graceful. She felt her heart hammering away in her ribcage, as he lowered his face to hers, deadly close. She could see the extreme detail in his eyes as they locked with hers. She could see the intelligence, in those eyes, the cold cool intellect. She did not fool herself that creature was friendly. She could see the way it's body moved, the way it's body was designed. It was a stealthy hunter, a stalker.

"Is there... something I can do for you?" She asked, hating herself for the waver in her voice. The creature moved away from her, taking in the details of her room. He moved to her vanity, stared at the photo on the mirror. Kyrie had the overwhelming urge to hide the picture of her mother, but didn't move. She felt dirty as the creature examined her room, invading her privacy. She watched his tail, flicking every now and then, like a snake ready to strike at any second.

It seemed like an eternity before he finally turned towards the balcony. He stepped into the night air, standing up to his full height. He turned back to her, smiled at her.

"Kyrie." Her name sounded odd coming from him. Sounded wrong.

A sudden knock at the door, caused her to spin around to her door. She glanced back at the creature, shocked at his speed. He was gone as quickly as he had come. She couldn't calm herself down, tried hard to look fine for her father as he wished her good night. If he suspected anything, he said nothing. She was left alone for the rest of the night. She tried to sleep, couldn't stop thinking that it would simply appear at her bedside again during the night, that it would return. Her mind tried to sort out the thing, figure out what it was, what it wanted, and how the hell it knew her name. She couldn't wait to see Sen, to tell her what had happened. Sen had a rational mind, could calm Kyrie down. Finally, as her mind whirled, she fell into a restless, nightmare filled sleep.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_She was standing at the base of a huge grassy hill. Everything was gray, the wind blowing so slowly, as if time had almost come to a stop. She could see every blade of grass bend, every leaf in the great oak strain against the wind. She was unaffected. She couldn't feel the wind on her skin, couldn't feel the heavy icy rain that drenched the ground. She couldn't hear anything, except the sounds of her breath as it caught in her throat, the sounds of her heart hammering in her chest._

_'No...' She thought, her mind panicking. 'Not again, please, not this dream again!'. She wanted so desperately to wake up, to tear herself out of this nightmare. _

_She wanted only to turn her back, to run away, but it was no use. Her legs began to walk, move her towards the top of the hill. Tears poured from her eyes, she tried so hard to brace herself for what was coming. She looked back, tried to yell out as she saw a little girl, barely four years old running joyfully up the hill, followed by her father, laughter in his eyes. The little girl with the sky blue dress, the blue sandals and the long auburn hair with the bright green eyes._

_She braced herself, heard the sounds of shouting, heard the sounds of screeching tires..._

_They reached the hill together, Kyrie, and her younger self. There was nothing she could do to stop her heart from shattering, as she saw the car smash into her mother, saw her sprawl on the pavement. There was blood everywhere... Kyrie screamed, fell to her knees, watched the horrible slow motion as people flocked to the broken body of her mother, saw her father run past her. Kyrie saw her younger self, standing next to her, her eyes wide, opened, blank. She was too young to truly understand what she was seeing yet. But it would sink in, when mum wouldn't come home that night..._

Kyrie woke suddenly, tears flowing down her cheeks, her mind numb, her heart breaking as she was forced to remember her mother's death. She tried to force air into her lungs, tried to calm herself down. She buried her face in her blanket, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Does it hurt?" She froze, her clammy skin suddenly freezing at the sound of the rasped voice. Slowly, she lifted her head. He was perched like a cat on the banister of her balcony, the doors open to the still night air. He stared at her, unmoving. She couldn't help notice that he looked concerned, but stony.

"It... It was just... just a dream." She stuttered, her voice failing her as she tried to swallow down her grief.

"Your mother's death." it wasn't a question. She stared, open mouthed, terrified suddenly of the strange creature.

"How?... How did you know?!" She couldn't hide the fear from her voice. The creature said nothing, simply lowered his head slightly. Her body trembled, overwhelmed from the stress of the dream and the sudden burst of adrenalin that her fear had created. "She died when I was a little girl..."

"Killed by a car when you and your father went to meet her and some friends for a picnic." He said it so conversationally, but to Kyrie, it was the most terrifying thing he could have said.

"...Yes..." She couldn't say anything else, simply stared, horror struck at the strange creature perched on her banister. He looked like such a hunter as he sat there, motionless, his slit eyes seeming to glow in the star light.

"It was not your fault." He said suddenly, absently, as if it didn't matter to him. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her body was starting to calm down.

"I was only four when she died." Kyrie said a little flatly. He smirked.

"Yet it still haunts you." She frowned at his statement.

"Yes. It would haunt any one." He moved then, slipping off the banister, onto his feet. He stood up to his full height. His tail twitched. Her eyes traced it's movements. A strange sound emitted from him then, and she realized he was chuckling. She turned back to his face, a frown on her face.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kyrie." He said simply. She knew he wasn't lying, but she still felt as though this creature in front of her was not a friendly man.

"I..." She sighed to herself, trying to gather her courage. "I don't know who you are, or what you are. I don't know how you know so much about me..." She stopped, the man was chuckling to himself again, his beak open to reveal his four pointed fangs.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Cell. I am a biological-android, created by Doctor Gero of the Red Ribbon Army." He placed one of his three fingered hands to his chest and gave her a curt bow. He stood back up to her full height.

"Cell?" He said nothing, simply stared at her as her mind processed the new information. "An android? You were created..." He moved towards the balcony again. She could see him staring towards the city. "Why?" She asked suddenly. He turned reluctantly from the view, towards her.

"Why?" He questioned a little flatly.

"Why were you created? What was the purpose?" Cell snickered, pride in his eyes. He stood tall, proud.

"I was created to be the Ultimate Perfection in a single entity." He let the statement hang in the air, before he turned back to the view. He glanced back at Kyrie, gave her another nod, before he threw himself over the balcony. Kyrie stared, began to yell, thinking he would kill himself, but caught herself. Instead of falling to the ground, he simply flew up into the night sky, arching over the manor, and disappearing into the forest.

\/\/\/

"Wait, so let me get this straight, this Cell character just appears in you bedroom?" Sen asked. Kyrie nodded. Sen had thought the whole thing an elaborate joke on Kyrie's part, but she had seen the pale face, the stress and pain in her eyes, and had let Kyrie tell her about the previous night.

"Yeah. He can fly. He's got wings. Well they look like wings. The kind of shell kind of wings you get on beetles." Kyrie replied. Her voice was tense, and she hadn't bothered trying to go back to sleep. Instead she had ridden her bicycle to Sen's house. The sun had just begun to rise when she reached Sen's house.

"Right, well it's really weird. I mean, don't get me wrong, I believe you Kyrie, it's just..."

"Weird. Yeah, I know." She finished. She sipped at her tea, willing it to calm her shot nerves. Sen tapped away on her laptop's keyboard. She frowned as she worked.

"According to what little information I can drag up on the Red Ribbon Army, they used to be a real terrorist like organization. They worked external from the King's Army, mostly up North. They were led by a guy called... Well, they just say Commander Red. Apparently it was... disbanded years ago. Theres no real mention of a Doctor Gero. Although that doesn't surprise me. Secrecy and all that." Kyrie nodded, but the information only made her feel worse. She put her head on her arms, sighed to herself.

Sen patted Kyrie on the shoulders.

"Maybe you should just have the day off, go back to sleep. You look horrible." Kyrie nodded weakly, still not lifting her face.

"I just don't get it. Why me?" Sen shrugged.

"Don't know. You should have asked him." Kyrie groaned in response. Sen stood up, heading towards the kitchen door. She flicked the TV on low for Kyrie, before she headed down the hall.

"I'm gonna get dressed for school. I'll let the teachers know you won't be coming in today. Finish your tea, then go home." Kyrie groaned again. She was lost in thought, ignoring the ambient sounds of the television, until she heard the muffled quiet sounds of screams. She shot up, staring at the screen.

"Surveillance shows only poor quality images of what can only be described as a _Monster_. It appears to be using it's tail like weapon to literally suck people dry..." Kyrie stared horrified as she watched blurry gray scale images of Cell absorbing people through his tail. "The entire population of Nikki Town is feared dead. The King's Army is scouting the city, but there looks like no sign the monster is still in the city. Official Reports warn all civilians to say inside your homes, lock all doors and windows. Do not go outside!"

"Sen!" Kyrie yelled, utter fear in her voice. "It's him!" Sen came running out of her room, stared at the TV, saw the security footage of Cell, watched in sickened horror as he 'drained' people dry...

\/\/\/

Two days passed. The entire Spice District was in turmoil. The monster was randomly attacking small towns and villages, 'eating' all the inhabitants and then moving on before any counter attack could be utilized against him. Any efforts of resistant were useless. Security footage showed bullets merely bouncing off his amour.

The news posted constant 24 hour surveillance and up to date reports on the 'Monster Watch'. People were in panic. Food began to be hoarded, school was shut down. Everybody was urged to stay inside, to not leave their homes, to arm themselves with what ever weapons they could. Sen's family came to stay with Kyrie and her father in the huge manor. It was secluded, away from the city. Sen kept Kyrie's secret, neither of them daring to utter a word about Cell's appearance and strange infatuation with Kyrie.

On the second day of Cell's public appearance, Kyrie celebrated her 18th birthday. It was overshadowed, the joyous occasion severely marred by the monster's appearance and attack. Kyrie was inwardly, terrified. Cell may have promised he would not harm her, but as she saw Sen walk past with her youngest brother, only six, in her arms, she felt a pang of guilty shame. She couldn't bare it if anything happened to her loved ones.

Her father threw a tiny party, only Sen's family and the few remaining staff celebrating Kyrie's 18th. She feigned delight, eating the cake and dancing with her father and his assistant, trying outwardly to be happy and ignorant of the panic and shame she felt inside. She snuck away from her own party, retiring to her bedroom. It took her several minutes to notice a juicy red apple sitting on her bed. She picked it up, turning it around in her hands.

"Many Returns." Kyrie yelped, dropping the apple back on the bed, whirling around. He was on the balcony banister again.

"Cell!" She tried to force her voice to work, but she could feel the fear rising in her stomach. "Erm.. Thank you... But..." He tilted his head.

"But?" She felt her face burn, felt her stomach knot.

"Don't kill my family!" She blurted out. He frowned, lifting his head up, staring down at her.

"Do you really think I would do that to you?" She found it hard to keep her eyes locked with his, under his angry, yet some how, hurt stare.

"I don't... I don't really know what you would or wouldn't do. I don't know you." He snarled suddenly, his tail flicking madly.

"No, I suppose you don't." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Cell!" He glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were full of pain and rage. "I..." she found her voice unwilling again. She swallowed, forcing herself. "Thank you." She said quietly, looking down at the ground. His expression seemed to soften, for just the tiniest flicker of a second, before he was suddenly gone, leaving Kyrie feeling even worse then ever.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"An apple?" Sen asked confused, handling the juicy red fruit, turning it around in her hands.

"I know! It's such a weird thing to get someone for their birthday." Sen frowned deeper, watching as Kyrie as she turned around again, pacing around the bedroom.

"Maybe it's symbolic?" Kyrie snorted.

"I don't know. I... I know it sounds weird, but every time I've seen him, he seems to be.. expecting something from me." Sen let Kyrie snatch the fruit from her hands, watched as Kyrie examined it closely, as if expecting it to burst open with some sort of hidden message.

"I think maybe he didn't want to get you something else, in case he thought you might think he stole it." Kyrie stopped pacing, staring sadly at Sen.

"... Maybe. I suppose that's what I would think if he had given me something like a watch or something." Sen nodded.

"Exactly."

"I still don't get it though? Why me?" Kyrie began to pace again, her mind racing. Sen shrugged, yawning.

"You should have asked him." Kyrie sighed, watched as Sen stood up, stretching.

"You going to bed?" Sen nodded.

"I don't think he'll be back tonight. I know you worried, but try not to think about it. Just think of it as a birthday present."

"I'll try to push it out of my mind that it wasn't from a megalomaniac android, currently hell bent on wiping out the population of the planet, shall I?" Sen laughed.

"Exactly! Now, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Sen smiled warmly at Kyrie as she left the room, her blood colored eyes beaming.

Kyrie threw herself at her bed, staring at the apple. She thought of Cell. She wondered why and how his strange infatuation with her began, and what the significance of the apple was for. She wondered absently, if the apple was poisoned. She pushed that thought from her mind. Cell appeared to be a man of his word, and she didn't think he'd need to poison her to kill her. She shuddered at the memory of the people being drained like liquid through his tail.

She hesitated, before she put the apple to her lips, and took a small bite. She savored the rich and sweet taste, trying hard to recall if she had ever eaten an apple quite as sweet as this one. She took another bite, feeling the satisfying crunch of the apple's crisp flesh. Kyrie stood up, headed to her balcony. She leaned against the banister, sparing a glance at the spot where Cell had sat perched, more cat than man. She took another bite of her apple, letting her mind wonder in the night air.

\/\/\/

He stopped on top of an outcropping of rocks, silent, watching the town nestled neatly in a valley. He could feel the life force of several hundred people sprawled beneath him. His tail gave an involuntary flicker to express his agitation. He didn't understand why he felt so bitter and angry. He turned to Kyrie, his Kyrie. It had been four years since he had last seen her. He had spent those four years as a nymph beneath the ground, absorbing nutrients and energy so that he could obtain his mature form once again. As his body had slowly evolved it's self, his mind had locked him into a sort of sleep like trance. Occasionally he dreamed. Sometimes of his creator, Doctor Gero and the purpose he had been given in life. Sometimes he had dreamed about his sibling androids, the teenage twins, 17 and 18. He saw the young roughish faces, salivated at the power they would eventually give him. But most of the time, he had dreamed of Kyrie.

He hated himself for it, knew Gero would be ashamed of him if he ever knew that his greatest creation had developed a soft spot for a human female. But Cell couldn't help it. He had tried to simply erase her from him mind, and that had been horrid. His mind refused to focus, and he found himself even more infatuated with the woman he had spent so many lonely nights with. She had been his comfort, his companion, and his friend. She had known him to be evil, but had accepted him regardless. She had confided her deepest and darkest secrets to him, considered him to be a great source of trust.

When he had finally emerged from the ground and shed his larval form, taking to this fresh, untouched, peaceful world, his mind had once again turned to Kyrie. He had fought hard to resist simply going and seeing her. After all, she had told him where she had lived when she was younger. He knew where she would be.

Despite his shame, despite his pride, he had turned his back on the veritable smörgåsbord of humans in the city near to where he had emerged, and instead, he had traveled the relative distance to find the woman who had haunted his dreams, hoping that if he could just see her, he could concentrate on hunting his androids.

He found the manor easily, as it stood out like a beacon on the side of a huge hill. It was just as grand and impressive as Kyrie had always told him it was. He had sat hidden in the bushes, out of sight. He had seen the hover cars arrive, delivering their important guests. He had not expected to see her.

The light turning on in one of the smaller upstairs balconies had caught his attention. Even though he was here to see her, he was not prepared for her sudden appearance, dressed in a form hugging black gown, looking sadly down at the city below the hill. She had hugged herself then, the night air chilly and breezy. He resisted the urge to go to her then. He moved through the underbrush to get a better view. Her eyes suddenly fell to where he now stood. He froze, watched as her eyes swept across the shrubbery under the tree line, then she turned, and headed back inside.

He had leaped then, silent and predatory, he had landed smoothly on the balcony. He berated himself mentally, unsure what he hoped to achieve with his reckless actions. But the damage was done. He hid himself quickly in the shadows of the room. He had seen her then, truly. She was as she had always been, only the lines of age and stress removed from her features. She was slightly shorter, and didn't have the hard form from years of poor and unpredictable diet. Her hair was shorter as well. The only real difference was her eyes. She had yet to gain her adult maturity, her eyes now softer, more innocent... less simply accepting. And then she had seen him.

He stood now, several days later, on top of the rocky outcropping, torn between devouring the town before him, or going back to Kyrie, and explaining why he had such an obsession with her. But no, that would be simply stupid, fool hardy and painful.

"No." He was considerably more used to talking now, after sharing a long discussion with Piccolo after the Nikki Town incident. "It is better she never knows." He finally forced himself to push the thoughts of Kyrie to the back of his mind, and he stole into the night, making a bee-line for the town below him, hungry.

\/\/\/

Kyrie was feeling tired, but she was still unsettled with her third encounter with Cell. She had finished her apple with relish, and held the core in her hand as she headed across the lawn. She loved the feeling of the dew covered grass blades between her toes. She pulled her nightgown tighter around her shoulders to ward off the chill from her skin. She stopped, finally, at the edge of the manor's estate, near the front wrought iron fence. A small hedge like garden grew along the front. She headed towards the forest tree line. She used her hands, digging a hold in the dirt. She buried the apple core it's seeds in tact. She stood back up, brushing her now dirty hands. She smiled inwardly at herself, hoping this small act would be a start to making up for the wrongs that Cell had done. She turned back to the mansion, knowing in a few hours the sprinklers would water the seeds and hopefully, they would start to grow.


End file.
